Wrench



J.v WESOLIK Sept. 6, 1932.

WRENCH Filed Oct. l5, 1951 l w WSA/roer Josgph/ /A/SOL /K BY 7% Q( @Trowa-7K5.

.UNlTED .s'r A'r'asi`- PATENT "o1-rica V i 1 N Patented Sept. 6, 1932 .Tosnrn wnsomigfor snnourajmrssounr Wannen appncationmed october 1c, 1931,V serial No. 569,203.

This invention relates to Wrenches, and has for its main object to provide a wrench which is of such construction andV design that it can be used successfully to turn or rotate a threaded memberlocated in such apos'ition that there is not sutlicient space or clearance around the same to permit the use of a conventional wrench of the kind in which the operf ating shank or handle 'of the' wrench is disposed at right angles to thelongitudinalV axis of the partwhich is to be turned or rotated by the wrench.

To this end I have devised a wrench that comprises a shank orooperating handle,-jaws carried by said shank 'and arranged so as," to project laterally from-saine at lapproximately right angles to the shank, and means for adjusting one or both of said aws 'so as to vary the size "of the space or opening between'the jaws. In using such 'awmnch the operating shank or handle is arranged'lengthv'vise-ofV or parallel to the longitudinal axis'o'ff the part or member which it is desired to turn, instead 'ofbeing arranged at right angles ltothe 1ongitudinal axis of said part, as in the case of a conventional wrench, and accordingly, my wrench can be used in many places and for many purposes that do not permitthe use'of ,A

a conventional monkey wrench or pipe wrench, `due to lack of space por clearance in which toswing the shank of the wrench in the operation of turning or rotating the art on which the wrench is used.` In the i orrn of my invention herein illustrated the wrench ris equippedwith two movable jaws carried by levers or equivalent swinging members pivotall attached. to a head piece rigidly-'cornbine with theoperating shank or handle, `and said'jaws'fare adapted to be movedrelaltively to each other to vary the sizeof fthe space between same by Amanipulatingj a threaded member on. the shank which imparts a sliding Inovementto a sleeve that embraces the; levers on the head piece that carry the JSWS-l I Figure 1 Vof thedraw-ing is a front:elevational view of my improved wrench. i, j i Figure `S2l is a side elevational view -of` said .wrench j f ing the jaws ullyopened.,

` Figurev 4 isa side el'evational'view,of` 'the wrench, 4illustratingit being used forfturn- Figure 3 visa front elevational view, show;

, Figure. isa longitudinal sectionalview, w

taken lon 'the line 5-45 of F igure'l, looking yin the direction indicatedby thek arrows. In the accompanying drawing which illus.;

trates a pipe Iwrench constructed in accord-i ance with my' invention, A designates the :opj erating shank 'of the wrench, B designates a t bifurcated .head piece rigidly attached to the upper end of'said shank, C designates a handle `or cross piece-,rigidly .attached yto the lower end ofthe shank, and D designatesfa pair oft-serrated jaws that are. disposed at right. anglesV to the shank A. Preferably, both of the-jawel) are adjustable or movable, .and`l` are carried by a pair of levers E disposed oppositelytto each other'iat opposite sides'o the longitudinal aXis of the ,t shank A, and pivotally connected at 1 to the headpiece B. YThe levers E arev disposed substantially longitudinally of the shank and are arranged inV thel vertical plane oi` the head piece B, which, as previously'stated, is bifurcated 'so as to form housings for'rthe levers E. The aws D are arranged at right anglesto the shankv Annd to theflevers E, and accordingly, when the Ywrenchis being used the: operating shank A .is disposed lengthwise of or parallel. to the longitudinal axis of the part that is being turned, instead of being arranged at righ-tangles tosaidlonf gitudinal axis. 4 Thus, as shown in'fFigure 4, if the wrench is being used to turna {cou} pling on-a pipeline g/,theshankA is arranged atone side of tliepipe line in parallel rela-v tion to same,;an`dthe jaws D thatengage the coupling project laterally from 'the upper end of the operating shank.. Accordingly, when the luser exerts a twisti-ngsaction on the handle or cross piece C at the lower endof the shank A, the wrench, as an entirety, will travel-in a-ciroularpath j'around the pipeline and the jaws willimpart a rotary motion to the coupling This is a very desirable characteristic of a wrench, either a monkey wrench yor pipe wrench, and makes it possible to use the wrench in many places and for many purposes where the conventional monkey wrench or pipe wrench could not be used, as, for example, in a corner where the part to be turned is located inclose proximity to a wall or walls, or in an instance where vthe part to be turned is located inside of a duct or other passageway of relatively small diameter at a point remote from a hand hole or other opening in the duct that forms the Y sleeve H will slide upwardly over the levers E vand. exert pressure on said levers in a direction tov move the jaws D inwardly towards each other. When the nut F is turned in the opposite direction, it will travel downwardly on the shank A, and lthus permit the sleeve H to move in aV direction to permit the levers E to swing outwardly so as to separate the jaws D and increase the size of the space between said jaws. The yoke-shaped member G can either be rigidly connected to the sleeve H,or the yoke-shaped member can be constructed in such a way that the side legs of same constitute adjustable operating elements for the levers E. We prefer to construct the wrench in this manner and to this end we use a yoke-shaped member G whose side legs are -positioned inside of the sleeve H and are engaged by adjusting screws 2 in said sleeve that are adapted to be tightened so as to force the side legs of the yoke-shaped member G inwardly towards the operating shankA, and thus compensate lfor wear r on the levers E or on the means that is used to move said levers in a direction to reduce the size of the space between the jaws D of the wrench, the side `legs of the yoke-shaped member having sufficient resiliency to provide for or permit of such adjustment of the jawoperating means. Y A

Due to the relatively great range of adjustment of the jaws D, it is preferable to mount said jaws on theirsupporting levers E in such a way that said jaws are capable ofbeing adjusted angularly relativelyto the levers E in a direction to cause the gripping faces of the jaws to be ldisposed parallel to the part which is to be turned by the wrench'. To this end I provide eachjawl D with a depending leg Sthat is arranged in a bifurcated portion 4 at the upper end of the supporting lever'E of the jaw, and pivotally connected to said bifurcatedportion by means of a pivot pin 5. Such a connection between the. jaws D and their supporting levers E permits the jaws to be turned into such a position, that when the jaws are in their fully open position, the active faces or serrated faces of the jaws will be disposed parallel to the longitudinal axisA of the ,operating shank A, as shown clearly in'Figure 3 of the drawing. Any suitable or preferred means maybe used tohold the jaws D in rigid relationship with their supporting levers,.ai:`ter said jaws have been set or adjusted, as above described, the means herein illustrated for this purpose consisting of locking screws 6 carried bythe levers E and arranged' so that the threads of same frictionally engagemiu tilated threads or partial threads in the lower ends of the depending legs 3 onthe jaws. As previously stated, my invention is applicable to pipe wrenches and monkey wrenches, and .while l prefer to make both jaws of the wrench adjustable, thisis not ab solutely essential.' Variousother means than that herein illustrated may be used to adjust the jaw or jaws so as to varyv the fsize of' the space between the jaws, and while l prefer' to mount the aws on their supporting levers in sucha way that they canbe adjusted angularly relatively to saidrlevers, this isy a detail of construction that canj be dispensed with without departing from` the'Y 'spirit of my invention., f

Having thus described myl invention, what I claimjas new and de sire -to secureby Letters Patentisz`- A J 1. A wrench, comprising `an operating shank adapted to be arranged substantially lengthwise of the longitudinal axis of the part to be turned, a cross piece Vor handleon said shankVv at the lowerv end voif same, a bifurcated head piece rigidly attached tothe upper end of said shank, oppositely-disposed levers ypivotally mounted on said head piecev and provided with laterally-projecting jaws,

a nutmounted on said shank jand adaptedy to be adjusted longitudinallyl of samie, f a yoke-shaped member actuated by said nut and combined with a sleeve that is adapted to embrace said levers and swing them onA their axes to vary the size of the spaceV between the jaws, the side Varms of saidyoke-shaped member being arranged inside :ofsaid sleeve and disposed soY as torengage said levers, means for adjustingsaid side arms relatively to said sleeve so as to compensate for wear, and means for enabling the angular relationship between saidy jawsl and levers'tobe changed.

2. A wrench, comprising an operating shank adapted to be arranged lengthwisev of the longitudinal aXisof the part to be turned, a head piece on said shank,` pivotally mounted levers von said head piece, laterally-projecting gripping jaws pivotally mounted on 13d said levers and provided with serrated portions, screw-threaded lockin devices carried by said levers and arrange in .enffagement with the serrated portions of sai jaws to hold said jaws in adjusted position, and a means adapted to be manipulated by the operator to move said levers relatively to said head piece so as to vary the Vsize of the space between said jaws.

3. A wrench, comprising an o erating shank adapted to be arranged lengthwise of the longitudinal axis of the part to be turned, a head piece on said shank, shift-,able levers on said head piece provided at their outer ends with bifurcated portions, laterally pro- Y jecting gripping aws mounted in the bifurcated portions oli said levers and provided with depending legs whose lower ends have mutilated screw l threads, screw-threaded locking devices carried by said levers and arranged in engagement with said mutilated screw threads to hold said jaws in adjusted position with relation to the levers, and a means adapted to be manipulated by the operator to move said levers relatively to the head so as to vary the size of the space between said jaws.

JOSEPH WESOLIK. 

